Topic
Seeing and Collecting Outsider Art
Museums, galleries, fairs, books and films, and how to buy outsider art responsibly.
Outsider art is easier to see than ever, but it is still unevenly spread. The UK has only one large public collection of it, at the Whitworth in Manchester, while France, Switzerland, Austria and the United States all have museums devoted to it. This topic is a practical guide to finding it, reading about it and, if you want to, buying it.
What this topic covers
- In the UK: public collections, specialist galleries, supported studios and environments you can visit.
- Abroad: the museums in Lausanne, Heidelberg, Gugging, Lille, Paris, Baltimore, Chicago and New York.
- Fairs: the Outsider Art Fair in New York and Paris, and how to get the most from a visit.
- Collecting: buying ethically, checking provenance and supporting living artists.
- Reading and watching: the books and films that are worth your time.
Guides in this topic
01
Where to see it in the UK
Public collections, galleries, supported studios and environments across the UK where you can see outsider and…
02
Museums in Europe and the US
The museums worth crossing borders for, from Dubuffet's collection in Lausanne to Henry Darger's room in Chicago.
03
Outsider art fairs
The Outsider Art Fair has run in New York since 1993 and in Paris since 2013. Its history, upcoming dates and how to…
04
Collecting outsider art
Where to buy, what to ask, and how to make sure the artists benefit. A practical guide to starting a collection of…
05
Books and films
The books and documentaries worth your time, from Roger Cardinal's original 1972 book to the films that brought…